RECRUITING STORY: McKnight committed to Iowa in June like nearly the rest of the class did. He had a few other MAC offers at the time but felt like it was time to pull the trigger for the Hawkeyes. Like many of his other fellow pledges, he had the talent and potential to add plenty of other offers throughout the cycle, and late Power 5 offers, but his senior year was cut short by a knee injury. A torn ACL in October kept him from having enough on tape for further evaluation. He's making a speedy recovery and is already back to jogging and could be cleared for full participation by the time Fall camp begins.

EVALUATION: McKnight is a fluid, athletic pass rusher with good quickness. He played more as a linebacker in high school, but projects as a stand-up edge rusher or wide nine in college. He must still learn the nuances of the position and get stronger, but he has shown in camps that he is a tough matchup for offensive tackles. He wins inside with finesse but also has a good speed rush. McKnight isn't a finished product but has the skill-set to develop into a top flight pass rusher. - Scout Midwest Recruiting Analyst Allen Trieu

It really is a shame that we didn't get to see more of McKnight his senior year. I think he would have shown that he is much more better and talented than his ranking suggests and it would have allowed him to continue to get better as a player and be able to work on some of the nuances that Allen spoke about above. However, it is fantastic news for Iowa that he is on his way back to a speedy recovery. He'll have a real shot at being ready for fall camp and that is big but he was likely going to redshirt anyways in my mind. He and Chauncey Golston are similar talents at the same position but McKnight isn't as raw. He's got an arsenal of moves already in his possession and is more than just high-upside athlete. He's got some strength to him. His best football is ahead of him. - Hawkeye Insider Publisher Derek Young